Writing The Perfect Resume

Writing a resume can be a daunting task, but if you follow some of our tips below, you’ll be on the fast track to that dream job.

When its time for a new job, the most tedious task is having to scroll through all those different job boards, spending hours and hours trying to find that perfect gig. But what happens when you come across that dream job and your resume is not-so-dream-like? Or maybe you don’t even have a resume? You may not know it, but your resume can literally make or break your application.

No resume? No problem! Said absolutely no recruiter ever. It’s 2019 – a resume is practically a requirement in this day and age, and at some point in your working life, you will be asked for one. How else are recruiters and employers meant to contact you back, or check out your work history and skills? Hell, write it on a napkin! Bottom line – invest in yourself and create one. It literally takes 30 minutes or less to have a kick-ass resume to highlight all your glory and awesomeness.

We’ve seen thousands upon thousands of resumes, so we know a thing or two about what to look for, and what to avoid. We’re not going to list all the boring “do’s and don’ts” but we’ll touch on the six most important things about what to have in your resume, and what to keep out.

do not…

#1 – Never, ever, ever, ever shit talk previous employers on your resume. Why? Because employers will think you will do the same to them if you happen to leave their company. It’s also best to keep out the reasons as to why you left previous positions. Explain your prior departure reasons in the interview stages.

#2 – Obvious one; don’t use profanity.

#3 – Don’t put sensitive information on your resume such as your full address (city and state are totally fine), date of birth, SSN, gender, etc. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but some job ads are fake, and you could be giving away your identity without even realizing it.

#4 – Compensation requirements or past earnings. Leave this to the interview stages! If you’re applying to a job that’s advertising a $60k salary, and you have $70k on your resume, you might be automatically disqualified, without the chance of showcasing how brilliant you are.

#5 – Keep your past jobs to a minimum. If you’ve had 4+ jobs in less than two years, then something doesn’t look right, and it appears you’re a “job jumper”. If you worked somewhere for less than 3 months, don’t put it on your resume – list it under “stages” or “work experience”. Also, no one really cares about jobs that were from 15+ years ago (unless that’s your only job or one of three). Having a 3+ page resume is a bad thing.

#6 – Don’t lie. Like seriously, don’t lie on your resume… You will be caught out. It takes a quick phone call to previous employers to verify everything, and it’s wicked embarrassing (for you) if something is blemished or overly exaggerated. “Fake it till’ you make it’” isn’t a good strategy.

The above examples are some key things to leave out on your resume, but what are some things that are must-haves?

DO THIS…

#1 – Your basic info such as; Your name, city, and state, phone number, and email address (for the love of all things holy, please, please, please make sure to include your email address on your resume!). What about social media links? LinkedIn is always a good one to include but think twice about putting down all your (personal) social media profiles.

#2 – Your work history. An obvious one, but it’s important as to how you should format this;Employers Name, City and State Your Position Dates of Employment A Summary (1-2 short paragraphs) of Your Position

The above example provides all the relevant info the employer (and recruiters) want to see, in an easy to read and clean format.

#3 – A summary about yourself, your skill sets, and what you aim to achieve in life. Keep it short and sweet, but powerful and personal.

#4 – A cover letter or some form of introduction is crucial, and this will strengthen your application tenfold. If you just apply to a job by sending a resume without introducing yourself or even saying “Hello” it comes across as being rude.

#5 – Formatting, grammar, and spelling. Make sure your resume isn’t cluttered and is easy on the eyes. Don’t use a fancy or cursive font that’s hard to read. We recommend using Grammarly to check your spelling and grammar (it’s free).

#6 – Finally, the type of file you send and the name of your resume. Send your resume in a PDF file as its generally the file that will always open without needing to be downloaded, and it can’t be edited as easily as a Microsoft Word document. Do NOT send your resume in a Pages file (Apple) as it won’t open on Microsoft computers or Android devices. It’s easy to save your resume as a PDF, just select “save as” and in the file section, choose Adobe PDF. Remember to save your resume using your name; “John Doe’s Resume”.

It never hurts to make sure you get an extra pair of eyes on your finished resume for a second opinion.

Your resume does not have to have a novel, it has to introduce you and show your skill will make you succeed at the position. In the hospitality industry there is no position that is not essential to making the business a success, whether that be FOH (Front of House), BOH (Back of House), Dishwasher, Line Cook, Sous Chef, Executive Chef, Server, Bartender, etc. all play a role in creating a memorable and pleasant dining experience.

If you’re looking to create your first resume, or just updating your existing one, you should check out this website (we’re not affiliated, it’s just one of the best out there) – https://resumegenius.com/